Whitmore Academy in Utah?

[Richard Harris]

You are so brave to attack my wife under the umbrella of an anom posting. You are obviously a graduate or current member of the sick Whitmore/Sudweek World, who has learned their cherished value of disrespect. It amazes me how crude and vulgar each of you sick supporters become as Joyce and I state the facts that show the Sudweeks to be the true cult, child abusing, sick people they are.

[Joyce Harris]

Whitmore Alumni:

How many times must it be stated that we parents sent our children to Whitmore Academy to be provided a quality educated at what the Sudweeks advertised as a FULLY ACCREDITED SCHOOL, which offered THERAPY by a licensed THERAPIST...and we did not bargain for Group Therapy to be led by a raving woman with only a high school education.

You show exactly what was taught there by referring to your "fellow students as PUSSIES" and by your consistent use of the the word "fuck"

Your anger and rage is apparent....doesn't seem like your time at Whitmore got a whole lot of your problems under control to me.

A student disclosing abuse is not a "pussie."

And you have your right to speak, and so does everyone else.  I don't see anyone telling you to "shut the fuck up."  So, respect everyone else's right to speak, too.

It appears to me, that everyone has respected, and responded to your comments.

[Richard Harris]

Anon I would like to thank you for your posting. It just serves as a reminder to me how thankful I am for having Joyce in my life. Your posting reminds how grateful I am to have such a courageous, hororable, beautiful woman in my life. A woman of good values and judgements willing to stand against injustice.

I pity you and your worship of the "Sudweek Religion". One thing can be said for you, you certainly got the Whitmore Program.

[Anonymous]

Cayo: You asked about "certified, accredited Teachers at Whitmore."

The Staff page on the website, which shows pictures and lists teachers by first name only shows the following...FIRST NAME AND CLASS THEY "TEACH"

Mark    Administration & PE      Not Certified
Cheryl  Administration & Dance   High School

Venice  Home Economic            Mark's Mother

Tom     Administration              ?

John    Admin.   "heard he worked in a hospital
                 and rented a room at Whitmore"

Susan    Adminsitration            ?

Callie   Eng & History       Kids go to Provo
                     library to meet with her.

Pam      Music/Piano   Some kids say she was
                  only there 2 days long ago.

Darlene   Home Eco   Girls the Sudweeks "CLAIM"
                    they adopted. She lives in
                    Salt Lake City..has new baby

Mark S.   Wood Shop       Certified?

Ben       Martial Arts    Cetified ?

Jeff      Aviation Sci.   Sudweeks son-in-law
                          Not Certified

Trinity   Horsemanship    Sudweeks' daughter
               "CLAIMS" she was trained under
               Monty Robert,"The Horse Whisperer"

Laeysa    Horsemanship    Sudweeks'daughter,
                          age 17

Shayla    Horsemanship    Sudweeks' daughter
                          lives in Logan, Utah

Verne     Carpentry        Certified ?

Terry     Mechanics        Certified ?

Counselor  Bernie           Degree?

Proctor    Eddie            Former Student

Proctor    Tori             Former Student

Please NOTE:  only one person, Callie "teaches what could be considered academic, or core classes" and this is done at a Public Library.
The Librarian in a telephone call stated that no formal classes are held at the Provo Library, and that the Whitmore students are simply regarded as "patrons of the library, and that she did not know a person by the name of CALLIE."

From the classes listed on the Whitmore site:
Carpentry, Mechanics, horsemanship, Martial Arts, Music/Piana, Dance, PE, and Home Economics, ---- this hardly seems like a "SCHOOL" that is focusing on quality ACADEMICS to me.

The Utah Office of Education has awarded Whitmore Academy "candidacy status" of accreditation.  The accreditation is being audited at this time under the direction of the Superintendent of the Utah Office of Education, Dr. Patti Harrington.

I assume that she can answer any questions of who the teachers are at Whitmore, and what their creditials are.

[Antigen]

On 2005-02-25 09:17:00, Whitmore Alumni wrote:

you people send your children there for behavior modification not to get treated like kings and queens.

I agree with you on this. The kind of people who usually fall for the EdCon pitch are people who really don't want to know the truth. You might make a comparison to some spoiled rich brat who cries to her rich daddy when she doesn't get her way and Daddy "fixes" it. Never mind how or who got hurt in the process. The little princess never has to think about those things.

However, not all of these parents are that crass. Just take a look at how the edcons advertise. Ask your parents (if you don't already know) who referred them to Whitmore and go look at the advertising. I guarantee nobody ever told them what it would really be like. Fact is, any of us parents could do just the same things to you that the Sudweeks do all for free right at home. But we don't because we know it would be wrong and illegal.

The only way they can get away w/ the deception is if we never talk about it. I'm not about punishing anybody. I just want parents who are worried about their kids to get the message that there really isn't any magical, mysterious cure out there. Shipping your kids off so you can't see what's done to them is no better, and in many ways far worse, than doing it to them yourself.

First management had plans and then strategic plans. Now we have vision, and we're only one small step from hallucination.
-- Ansley Throckmorton upon assuming the presidency of Bangor Theological Seminary in Bangor, Main per Information World 8-4-`97

_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
   10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.

[Anonymous]

youre still a dumbfuck whitmore alumni. talking tough like ur such a badass. i was there and u cant tell me what i saw. you would understand if you were a bit smarter but since you so stupid and nieve ill just let it go. but either way you cant justify shit like your trying to. so go suck a fucking dick asshole

[Anonymous]

Antigen, I looked at the advertising today of the person who referred us to Whitmore, Sue Scheff of P.U.R.E.---and the advertisement still offers no idea of what goes on at Whitmore or any treatment center.

Read it at:
http://www.helpyourteens.com/about_us.html

What is amazisng is Scheff continues to promote herself "with a background in business and finance, combined with years experience in the medical field."

In the posting on this site on 12-27-2003 19:44:00---in An Excerpt from Sue Scheff's Deposition:

She admits that she lied when she said she held a degree in business and finance; and her so-called "medical training" was "special services in telecommunications, cafetria/kitchen" at a hospital where she worked.

I most certainly am not an attorney---but I can read. She admits in this deposition that she has no medical training.   And as of today, Scheff continues to promote herself in this way.

One thing did catch my attention and that was Scheff's statement that "P.U.R.E. was created for a need of PARENT AWARENESS, or BUYER'S BEWARE in a DESPERATE situation."

NOw, if only we as parents had taken that statement literally when we first talked to Sue Scheff--- we would have never have stepped foot in Whitmore Academy!!!!

[Joyce Harris]

To the former student:

You are getting nowhere with  Whitmore Alumni, who will continue to support the Sudweeks and curse and try to ridicule anyone who speaks against them. Ignore the remarks---
I believe you.  I have heard the same things from my daughter and from other students who are home now.

We parents would appreciate more if you would not fight with someone who just wants to make you angry, and if you would try to help us understand what went on at Whitmore, and give us, and if you are willing, the authorities details that can help in the investigation.

You can send a private message if you prefer.
I understand you anger, and why it is difficult to control striking back.  But don't. That is their game, and you don't have to play it anymore.

[Anonymous]

Could any of the former students explain this situation that happened to my child at Whitmore?

She took a framed photograph of her parents. Cheryl Sudweeks made her remove, and throw away the picture, but made her keep the empty frame on the desk.

Cheryl told her, that this was to remind her that her parents were absent, did not love her, and had signed a contract giving Cheryl total control over her.

Our daughter said that every day when she looked at this empty frame she was scared that she would never get to come home, and that we had left her there forever, and that we had signed papers giving the people there permission to do anything bad they wanted to do to her.

Did anything about photographs happen to any of you other students?

[Anonymous]

That's odd. I had a picture frame on my nighstand the entire time I was there, with pictures of my parents, pets, and friends on them.

I know for a fact Cheryl told some kids to put their pictures away but I never heard her tell a kid to toss them out. She told a few kids to put away thier pictures until it sunk in that they were in Utah and not at home anymore. I'm not calling your kid a liar, but I think she could be stretching the truth a taaad bit.

I know how it is out there, it gets really tough but  from what I observed from a lot of the kids I lived with was that they tended to exagerate on how bad they had it. I did it myself for the longest time.

A lot of people on here have been going on and on about this "unconditional love" and "second family" type thing. I think you guys(critics and opposition) are taking the phrases a bit too literally. During my year, I honestly couldn't stand a lot of the kids I lived with. I wasn't punished or persecuted because of it either. I really only was close with a little more than 1/3 of the group. I didn't feel pressure to adopt this "second family" because I already have one I appreciate. The Whitmore for me was BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION, not a foster home.

Alright I'll end this right now, because I feel like I'm just rambling.

Anyways, I'm not here to launch into any arguments or namecalling. I've been reading these forums for a while now and I respect others opinions. I'm not here to fight.

[Anonymous]

Former student:

Thank you for your kind reply.
No, my daughter was not exaggerating. The empty frame was on the desk when we picked her up from Whtimore.  I asked what happened to our picture,& that that is when she told her father and me what had happened to the photograph and WHY.

I appreciate your comments, tho. You are the first former student who has posted here that writes without using foul language. Thank you.

[Antigen]

On 2005-02-26 08:17:00, Anonymous wrote:

Alright I'll end this right now, because I feel like I'm just rambling.

No you're not. Welcome. Thanks for the level, reasoned input. And please feel free to "ramble" as much as you want to.

Given the choice between dancing pigs and security, people will choose dancing pigs every time.
-- Ed Felton (quoted in www-security about Active-X)

[Joyce Harris]

I have a question for the "polite" former student:
You said you had been reading these forums for awhile.  What is your take on the students' name-calling and very hostile attitude towards the former students?

Does this surprize you at all?

[Anonymous]

I totally think it's the wrong way to go about this "debate". Threats and swearing don't do a lot for your cause except strip you of your credibility and make you amd your cause look foolish. To tell you the truth, it doesn't suprise me at all. A lot of the kids were a bit on the dramatic side while I was there.

[Anonymous]

To the student, you said some of the students "had a dramatic side."  From all the postings from the students at Whitmore and those home now.  It seems obvious that Cheryl sets the tone and stage for most of the dramatics.

Don't you think that Cheryl targeting a particular kid to have "group on," or reading from their mail, or journals is what generates a lot of DRAMA?

The parents are very upset that they paid for professional therapy, not to have a woman with a high school education "playing therapist."

Parents, including yours, paid for a private school education---and it just does not happen at Whitmore...there are no REAL teachers there.

The Sudweeks signed contacts that no kids with a history of violence would be enrolled at Whitmore--and there were and are kids there who are very violent.

That is why parents are very upset.